


Together

by sanctuary_for_all



Series: Lifeline [2]
Category: The Brave (TV 2017)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, F/M, Feels, Fix-It, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-01-31
Packaged: 2019-03-11 23:13:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13534560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sanctuary_for_all/pseuds/sanctuary_for_all
Summary: “Tell me where you’re going next time, okay?” (Post-ep/fix for 1X13, set in my “Lifeline” universe.)





	Together

No one asked Adam where he’d been. They all knew, really, and knew just as clearly that he wasn’t going to talk about it. The most important thing to Jaz was that he’d come back alive, that he was here for her to lay her hand against his back while they let themselves just be close to Preach for a little while.

It was only later, after McG had forced them all down to the cafeteria to eat something, that Adam pulled her aside into an empty corridor just before they got there. “Hoffman’s dead,” he said quietly, expression solemn. “And he’s not coming back this time.”

“Good.” She met his gaze with simple honesty. “Saves me having to do it.”

“I wouldn’t have wanted you to. He was too dangerous.” Adam hesitated, eyes still on hers. “Some might say it was murder.” There was no regret in his voice, but beneath the words she could hear one more silent offer to let her free if she wanted it. As if this would be enough to scare her off.

She let her frustration show on her face, hating all the people she’d never know who helped do this to him. One of these days, she’d finally make him understand that the killer inside him was no worse than the killer inside her. “You know as well as I do he would have squirmed out of whatever cell D.C. would have put him in, if he ever even made it there at all. He needed to be put down.”

Finally, he nodded, a little of the tension easing out of his muscles. Somehow, that was the signal for a rush of belated relief to knock her sideways, the certain knowledge of everything that _might_ have taken Adam away from her combining with the fear that it might still take Preach. She swayed a little, eyes stinging hard, and Adam’s expression shifted immediately into concern. “Hey.” He reached up, hesitated, then looked back and forth along the corridor before pulling her into a fierce hug. “Hey,” he breathed. “I’ve got you.”

Tears welled up again as she let herself hold onto him for a few precious seconds. She’d needed this _so_ badly. “I know.” Then she made herself pull away completely, wiping her eyes as she fixed him with a firm look. “But tell me where you’re going next time, okay?”

He scrubbed his hands across his face, looking suddenly exhausted. “I assumed you knew.”

“I did.” She narrowed her eyes at him, leaning in as she lowered her voice even further. “But there’s a hell of a lot of difference between a quick ‘Sorry, off to kill a psycho, be right back,’ and just _disappearing_ like that.” She remembered the worry that had gripped her when she realized Hoffman had stolen Preach’s sidearm. “And don’t take off your comms. If you ever need to stop the higher ups from using it to track you, we’ll cover on our end.”

Now he looked apologetic. “I didn’t want you to try and stop me.”

She whacked his arm as another rush of frustration hit. “I wouldn’t have _stopped_ you. Hell, I probably would have tried to come _with_ you.” Anything would have been better than waiting the endless hours in the hospital, hoping that Preach would open his eyes.

Adam sighed, leaning back against the wall. “I couldn’t have let you.” He looked over at her again, a flash of something vulnerable on his face. “You’re the one thing Hoffman could have used against me.”

Her chest clenched. “Okay,” she said, voice thick. It was strangely comforting, in a slightly awful way, to know that he’d had a really solid reason for leaving her behind. If it kept him safer to have her not there, then she was all for it.

That didn’t get him out of everything, however. “Still, I need you to actually _tell_ me next time,” Jaz said quietly. “And figure out a way we can get in touch with you if we need to.” She argued for both herself and the rest of the team, knowing that she had the best chance of actually getting him to listen. “I don’t care how, but you might need backup or we might find out urgent information we need to get to you.”

He didn’t say anything for a long moment. “One of these days, you might wish you didn’t know,” he said finally, voice soft and too damn sad.

She jabbed a finger into his chest. “For the last time, Dalton. You. Don’t. Scare. Me.” Emotion welled up again, making her swallow as she looked into his eyes. “And you don’t leave your partner in the dark.”

He could turn that back on her, she knew, depending on how defensive he was feeling. Technically, they weren’t partners – he was the captain, and officially that meant he owed her nothing. It had always just been an unspoken understanding between them, not necessarily formalized by the fact that they’d gotten together romantically.

After a heartbeat, however, his expression gentled. “You’re right.” He pushed away from the wall. “If I ever have to do anything like that again, I’ll tell you. You can tell the rest of the team at your discretion.”

Before Jaz could do anything dangerous – like kiss him in public – there was a hard hit against the wall near where it joined the main hallway. When they both turned toward the sound, Amir was standing there with an expression so bright Jaz already knew what he was going to say. “A nurse found me. Preach is awake.”

They raced up to Preach’s room together, flustering more than a few nurses as they hurried past. When they got there, Preach was already sitting up a little. The breathing tube was still in his mouth, but he had a clipboard in front of him and was busy writing something on it.

Jaz’s throat tightened, happy tears welling up. The family was officially back together again.

McG grinned at them as they poured into the room, though his eyes were suspiciously wet as well. “He’s a little annoyed the nurse said he’s got to keep the breathing tube in for another hour or so while they make sure his lungs are fully up to it. Harder to be profound when you’ve got the lag time to worry about.”

Preach glared at him, holding up the clipboard for everyone to see what he’d written. _Truth has the power to overcome any physical limitations._

Everyone laughed, desperately grateful. “You’ll have to e-mail us your insights after you make it back home,” Adam said, sounding more than a little choked up. “I don’t think we can make it the month we have left without them.”

Preach looked at Adam, expression suddenly going serious, then started writing again. A moment later, he held the clipboard up again. _I’m coming back._

Adam’s own expression turned serious for a moment, even as he kept the words light. “Let’s see how you feel after your wife’s yelled at you for awhile for scaring her like that.”

Jaz’s throat tightened. They’d have to let Preach retire, if he wanted. They’d still miss him like crazy, but this way they’d still have him in their lives.

Preach shook his head, making a few quick marks on the paper before holding it up. This time, the words were underlined. _I’m coming back_.  

Adam swallowed, then nodded. “Okay.” His voice was thick. “You’re coming back.” Then he inhaled. “Want us to wait to call your wife until you can talk again?”

Preach nodded, expression easing. Amir leaned forward. “Since we have some time, then, I have a question. We were having a conversation earlier, and we were all wondering what your thoughts on adversity were.”

Preach immediately started writing, and the rest of the team grinned at each other.

**Author's Note:**

> Come check out my [original fiction,](https://jennifferwardell.wixsite.com/mybooks) my [blog,](http://jennifferwardell.blogspot.com) or say hi to me on [Tumblr](http://sanctuaryforalluniverses.tumblr.com)!


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